This invention relates to a machine having a pair of cylinders for processing a continuous web or sheets, such as paper, fabric, foil, plastic material, metallic material, or the like, passing between the nip of cylinders. The shafts of the cylinders are journalled at opposite ends in the frame of the machine, and two sets of bearings are provided for each of the journalled shafts, each of such bearings being supported in an auxiliary casing which is subjected to a tension producing device such as a pressure medium cylinder for adjusting the gap between the machine cylinders.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,256,812 discloses a printing machine in which the spacing of the impression and printing cylinders are capable of being regulated during machine operation by the provision of tapered members mounted between bearing housings of the cylinders.
DE-AS No. 20 33 515 discloses a single cylinder in which the journal shafts, and consequently the cylinder itself, is intended to be bent by means of pressure-generating cylinders. The engaged pressure-generating cylinders act at the axial outer ends of the journals, and a fixed bearing is located at the axial inner end of each journal. Consequently, because of the flexing forces acting thereon, such cylinder can adjust to the flexure of another cylinder of the machine. Thus, only one cylinder is flexed while such other cylinder remains unaffected.
British Pat. No. 1,158,757 discloses a bearing arrangement for a pair of shafts carrying cooperating rolls wherein two bearings are provided for each journal of an engaged cylinder. The roller distance is said to be precisely adjusted such that each of the bearings is located in a auxiliary casing and all bearings of each cylinder journal can be pressed against one another by a pressure-generating device in such a manner that any play between the bearings is eliminated. However, none of the bearings is directly located in a corresponding frame which supports the cylinder pair. Moreover, the adjustment of the distance between the axis of the two cylinders is rather cumbersome, since this would require the delicate adjustment of a wedge against the friction forces acting thereon, without reliance on any type of control mechanism. A time consuming effort is therefore required to precisely position the wedge.